Boot or covering for universal joints of drive shafts of various motor vehicles



Aug. 6, 1940.

A. R. BERMAN 2.210.847 BOOT OR COVERING FOR UNIVERSAL JOINTS OF DRIVE SHAFTS OF VARIOUS MOTOR VEHICLES Filed April 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l /JIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR. c/7aranfifieiwr rz AATTORNEY.

A. R. BERMAN G FOR Aug. 6, 1940.

, BOOT OR COVERIN UNIVERSAL JOINTS 0F DRIVE SHAFTS OF VARIOUS MOTOR VEHICLES Filed April 27, 19 38 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RB 8))21472 ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 6, 1940 I 2 210 347 uNrrEo STATES PATENT OFFICE BOOT on COVERING FOR UNIVERSAL JOINTS, F DitivE SHAFTS or VARI- -0US MOTOR VEHICLES a I Aaron R; Ber-man, Chester, Pa. I Application April 27, 1938, Serial No. 204,635

Claims. (01; 64-32) This invention relates to an improved boot or covering securely in place and from detachmen covering for use in connection with universal m the two sections of the drive shaft. 7 j0ints of drive shafts of various makes of motor Another p p e is t provide a boot or covervehicles and the main purpose of this invention ing applicable o a y and all typ s o universal is to provide a boot or covering, universal in use j Y i to all types of universal joints of drive'shaftsfon A still further purpose of the invention is to various makes of motor vehicles. I 1 provide Covering b in a s n e p e e o Another purpose f the invention is t p vid pliable or flexible material having slotssuch as boot or covering constructedo-f flexible or pliable Will permit the covering to afford a plurality of it) material such as rubber, particularly synthetic pp ngs one upon-and in register with each lti rubber. and one made in the form of a cone in a other, as shown in drawings. 1 single wrapping molded or otherwise constructed It is t0 be understood t at t e. particulars here in a single piece provided with inner and outer iven are in no way limitative, and that while beads at the end of the cone, the single'piece'to Still keeping within the scope o t invention, y

l3 engage in annumr'grooves formed in t t desired modification of details and proportions T5 tions of theuniversal joint of an automobile drive may be made in the construction of the pp nce shaft according to circumstances.

Another ur ose is toprovide a boot or covering The invention comprises further features and constructed of a flexible or pliable material, such eemblhetion o partsto he hereinafter set o t as will permit the covering or boot to accommown in the drawings and'claimed. date itself to any and all types of said universal In the w n joints, allowing the boot or covering to contract Figure 1 plan View 0th boot Covering n and expand, incident to the movements of the a Single piece and Ofa length and a construction elements of the universal joint. In other words, whereby a Single pp y be made around the material, of which the covering is constructed, the universal joint of the drive shaft. may give or stretch in keeping with the movement Figure 2 is a Sectional View crosswise the f the various parts f the joint. wrapping in Figure 1 when the wrapping is rolled.

. Another purpose is to provide aboot in a single 3 is a o al view on line 3-,-3 on piece of pliable material of such construction as Flglfl're i 34") to permit of a single wrapping over the joint. as Fleure 4 is a eeetieneiview on line on shown in Figures 1 and 2, and. in this event, the e outer facing of the single piece of pliable material Flguie 5 is a perspective-View showing the ap has molded thereon an extension flap or tab plication of a boot cowering as pp to a which acts to cover slots in the opposite end s ot universal joint of a drive shaft of a motor e the covering of a single wrapping to prevent dust Showing not more than two Wrappingsand dirt from seeping through the covering or figure 6 is a plan View of h boot covering boot I being of a length and a construction to provide -Another purpose is to provide a boot of a single than tWO p piece of such flexible or pliable material, so con- Flgure 7 is a Sectional e line on 4-1; structed in order to provide aplurality of wrap ure pings over the joint, preferably not more than Flgure 8 1S Sectional w n ne 8-8' on -two,'so as to afford a dust proof covering or boot, Figure which is exceedingly durable and of unusual Figure 9 is a t al View on line 9-9 on 5trength Figure '6. e (y; The boots. or coverings now in use are con- Figure is a fragmentary View of a universal 'structe'd of rawhide or similar material which are joint with the boot or covering as app ied and more or less stiff and unpliable and buckle, or beingpbloken away Partly in t o in order break, in a relatively short time and have been to illustrate more definitely the construction d found impracticable. Therefore, it is another the mounting of the b o a i; purpose to avoidv these undesirable features. f i t F s 3 and 4, one form of A further ur ose i to provide me t e h boot or covering is illustrated. In-this construcend of the boot or covering for retaining the boot tion the boot is in a single piece but not conor covering attached to the adjacent ends of the t us and is of a s u i n or length to p ;drive-shaft sections, said holding meansfor the Vide for a single wrapping around the universal. as boot being of such construction as to retain the j t T Single pi a has pp ends, and

is provided with inner and outer beads 8b and 80 on its longitudinal curved edges. Adjacent the opposite ends of the single piece in Figure 1, slots 9a and 9b are provided. They have beads Illa to prevent the slots from tearing. The opposite ends of the slot 9b have offset portions lllb which.

receive the beads .I la around the slots or notches Nb of the opposite end of the boot or covering, when the two ends thereof are connected, as in Figure 4.

When molding the single piece of boot or covering, as in Figure 1, an extension flap or tab is vulcanized to the body of the boot. This extension flap 12a has its vulcanization to the body of the boot for a distance as from a to b shown in Figures 1 and 2. The opposite ends of the extension flap or tab have slots l2b which receive the material in one end of the bo ot,' when that portion d of the flap or tab 1sv me,

serted through the slot 9a, that is to say, when the single piece of boot or covering is rolled in a single wrapping, as shown in Figure 2, said wrapping being made on a universal joint of a drive shaft, as shown in Figure 10. Also when the single wrapping in Figure 1 is connected about: the universal joint, the end of the boot having the slots lib is inserted through the slot 9b so that the crotches of the slot Hb may engage the opposite ends of the slot 9b, the beads around the slots or notches lib engaging the offsets lOb. After connecting the opposite ends of the single piece of wrapping, as shown in Figure 1, around the joint, in which event the slots or notches I2b will engage the opposite ends of the slot 9a. In this construction the extension flap or tab prevents dust, dirt or foreign matter from seeping through the slots at the opposite ends of the boot or covering, when the boot or covering is fastened around a universal joint."

Referring to Figures to inclusive, 1 identifies a drive shaft of a motor vehicle, which may be in two sections. 2, 3 and 4 identifies the universal joint connecting these two sections. The sections 2 and 3 have annular grooves 5, which are semi-circular in cross section as shown in Figure 7 of the drawings.

The boot or covering is in the form of a semicircular segment as illustrated in Figure 1 of thedrawings. In the event that this segment of flat material, preferably rubber, is increased in length, the boot may be universal in use to various, any and all types of joints. Furthermore, in the event of increased length, the boot or covering may afford a plurality of wrappings, that is to say, more than two wrappings, as disclosed in the drawings. The single piece constituting the boot or covering has a slot 6 at one end, and slots ornotches I at the other end, while there are central slots or notches 8, which engage or receive the material at 9 adjacent to the opposite ends of the slot 6, so as to afford a single wrapping. However, in order to provide a second wrapping on the first, the material at I 0 adjacent the closed, ends of the slots or notches 1 also engage with the slot 6, whi1e the slots or notches I receive and engage with the material 9 of the boot or covering. By this construction, the boot or covering I I may be wrapped as shown in Figures 5, 7, and 10 of the drawings.

The boot or covering I may be made of any suitable flexible material, such as rubber, in a blank as shown in Figure 4, preferably molded, and in its construction, it is provided with ribs beads Wh ch engage the grooves 5 of the drive shaft sections, thereby retaining the covering or boot in place.

The other half of the boot or covering is provided with ribs or beads [3, which are relatively smaller than the beads or ribs l2, and are formed or molded on the opposite face of the boot or covering 50 as to appear on the outside surface of the covering or boot. These beads or ribs I 3 being on the outer surface of the covering afford means with which metallic bands or clamps M, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, engage for the purpose of preventing the covering or boot from slipping from under such clamps. Furthermore, when these bands or clamps are tightened, the beads or ribs l2 are forced into the grooves 5, which action also prevents detachment of the boot or covering. The beads or ribs l2 and I 3 are formed around and in conformity to the slots 1 and 8, which act toprevent tearing of the material of which the boot or covering may be constructed.

It is obvious that the walls 1 and 8 may be increased or decreased in Width for receiving thin ner or thicker material at 9, and for allowing the fitting various diameters of shafts, thereby making-the boot universal in use. a

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed is:

1.'In a device, as set forth, the combination with a motor vehicle drive shaft comprising adjacent shaft sectionshaving a universal joint connecting said sections, of a boot-body surrounding said joint being open therethrough from-end to end and constructed of flexible synthetic rubber material, said boot-body prior to its formation consisting :of a segmental length, the opposite ends of said length of material being formed with inter-engaging means for retaining said length of material conforming to and surrounding said joint, the adjacent ends of the shaft sections having grooves, the opposite faces of the length of rubber material being formed with inner and outer beads adjacent the edges thereof, the innerv beads engaging said grooves of the shaft sections, the outer beads being smaller cross-sectionally than the inner beads and formed. for the full circumference of the boot opposite the inner bead, and metallic straps encircling the boot-body adjacent the outer beads with theedges of. the straps engaged against said outer beads, said straps being in positions substantially opposite the inner beads retaining them in said grooves, the outer beads acting to.prevent the boot-body from pulling from under said straps.

v 2. The combination witha motor vehicle drive shaft comprising adjacent shaft sections having av universal joint connecting said sections, of a boot-body consisting of a length of synthetic rubber material formed at its ends and at the center with means comprising inter-engaging slots, near the ends and adjacent the center of the length of material to retain the boot-body conforming to and in surrounding relationship to th e universal joint, one half the length of said material on one face thereof adjacent the edges of thematerial having inner beads conforming to the center slots, the other half. of said length of material on..the opposite face thereof adjacent the edges of the material having outer beads conforming to the end slots, the adjacent ends of the shaft sections having grooves receiving the inner beads, the outer beads being positioned opposite the innerbeads for assisting to retain the inner beads in saidgrooves, and metallic straps encircling said boot-bodyat its ends thereof and formation and construction of which permitting the boot body to assume a surrounding relation-- means for retaining said boot in position and universal joint conforming it to and surrounding said joint, the

opposite faces of the material being formed with inner and outer beads adjacent the circumferential edges thereof for substantiallythe full circumference of the boot, and a drive shaft comprising shaftsections having grooves at their adjacent ends to receive the inner beads, the outer beads assuming positions opposite to and overlying the inner beads and cooperating somewhat therewith to retain said inner beads in said grooves, metallic straps encircling the boot body at its ends adjacent the outer beads with the edges of v the straps engaged. against the outer beads, the

outer beads acting to prevent the boot body from pulling from under said straps.

4. In combination, a boot for a universal joint on a motor vehicle drive shaft comprising a boot body, said boot body consisting of a single length of flexible material of segmental formation, said ship with and on said joint, the opposite ends of said segmental piece of material being provided with inter-engaging means including an extension cover flap, said means and extension flap acting to retain said boot in its prescribed shape in position and conforming to said boot to and in surrounding relationship on said joint, the opposite faces of the segment of material substantially for the full circumference of the boot having inner and outer beads adjacent the circuma boot ferential edges of the segment, and a drive shaft consisting of shaft sections with certain of their ends adjacent each other, said adjacent ends having grooves for the reception of saidninner beads, the outer'beads assuming positions approximately adjacent to and oppositely and overlying the inner beads and cooperating somewhat therewith to retain said inner beads in said grooves, and metallic straps encircling the opposite end portions of the boot body adjacent to and with certain of their edges engaged against the outer beads, whereby the outer beads act to prevent the end portions of the boot body from pulling from under said straps.

5. In combination with a motor vehicle drive shaft, 'a boot for a universal joint on a motor vehicle drive shaft comprising a boot body, said boot body consisting of] a single length of flexible synthetic rubber material of segmental formation, said formation andconstruction of which permitting the boot body to assume a surrounding relationship with and on said joint, the opposite ends of saidsegmental piece of material being formed with inter-engaging means acting to-retain said boot in its shape in position and conforming said boot to and in surrounding relationship on said joint, the opposite faces of.

said segment of material, substantially for the full circumference of the boot having inner and outer beads adjacent the circumferential edges of said segment, said inner beads engaging grooves on adjacent ends of sections composing said vehicle drive shaft, the outer beads assuming positions substantially adjacent to and oppositely and overlying the inner beads and cooperating somewhat therewith to retain said inner beads in said grooves, and metallic straps encircling the opposite end portions of the boot body adjacent to and with certain of their edges engaged against the outer beads, thereby preventing said end portions of the boot body from pulling from under said straps;

AARON-R. HERMAN. 

